As a victim of identity theft, you will need to take the following steps to begin the process of closing accounts and placing alerts.

• File a report of the theft and you will be given a case number. This case number will be needed by every credit bureau you contact and for every account you will be closing.
• Contact the companies for the accounts that have been compromised and close them, this includes credit cards, checking accounts and any other type of financial account. This is your responsibility and the sooner you do this, the sooner the suspect will be unable to use your identity and continue stealing from you and/or other businesses.
• If you have accounts that were not compromised yet but the information was stolen, you should close them and reopen the accounts with new numbers, or at minimum request a pass code.

Fraud Alerts

Next, contact the credit bureaus below and place a “fraud alert” on your social security number or any other family members' social security numbers that may have been taken. This will help stop anyone from opening new accounts in you or your family members' names. This important step has helped many victims from suffering additional fraud.

The three major credit bureaus to report to are:

Trans Union
PO Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
1-800-680-7289
transunion.com/fraud-alerts

Experian
PO Box 9532
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
experian.com/fraud/center

Equifax
PO Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348-5069
1-800-525-6285
equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-fraud-alerts

To assist victims, the credit bureaus will alert each other so you will usually only have to call one credit bureau. Let them know you would like a copy of your credit report so you can verify the information is true and correct. Do this before you place a freeze on your report.

If you find any account you did not open, be sure to contact the company that opened the account and close it down immediately.

By calling the credit bureaus with the case number, they will place an alert for 90 days. However, if you also mail a copy of the police report you filed, they will extend that alert to seven years.

Next, request a copy of the police report from the agency where it was filed. Most agencies will require you to complete a Document Request Form to receive a copy of the report. The EPPD Records Unit processes these requests. It can take up to 10 business days to receive a copy after the report is complete. As a result, we recommend you request a copy when you file the report.

The most important reason to request a copy of the police report is to send it to the credit bureaus so they lengthen the alert on your social security number from 90 days to seven years. Each major credit bureau needs to be sent a copy of the police report. It is also wise to keep a complete copy of this identity theft report with your own records. Some financial institutions require a copy to reimburse you depending on the type of fraud. Keeping this report will assist you when you next apply for credit. If anything negative appears on your credit report from this time period, having a copy of the report will help you correct that portion of your report.

If checks were stolen, altered or counterfeited, the businesses, banks and/or individuals who have received these may need signed and notarized Affidavits of Forgery from you. In addition, if credit cards and/or debit cards were used, you may need to sign Affidavits of Forgery for the victims of the dollar loss. Examples of affidavits are attached below and you can make as many copies as you need of the form. You need to have your signature notarized on these forms. Most police agencies have notaries available as well as most financial institutions.

Security Freeze

Under Minnesota State Law you can also “freeze” your credit reports even if you are not a victim. To place a “security freeze” on your credit report, you can start online or send a written request to each of the three credit reporting agencies listed above by regular, certified or overnight mail.

Affidavit of Forgery (Check and Financial Transaction Card) [PDF]

EPPD Document Request Form

• If your identity is stolen from you and you do not know where it occurred, file the report with the police department in the city where you live.
• If your purse or wallet was stolen and you know where it occurred, file the report in that city.
• The use of your personal information, including your checks and credit/debit cards, could happen throughout the metropolitan area or even out of state. You do not need to file reports with all those agencies. You only need to file the original report.
• If the fraudulent use of your personal information occurs in a city in Hennepin County, the EPPD will follow up on the information. Since the use of stolen items often occurs in multiple jurisdictions, and at times out of the state, the agency that takes your original report will attempt to do as much of the investigation as possible. There may be times when your case needs to be referred to another agency. If that happens, the police agency you initially reported it to will keep you informed.

Keep a copy of all documents you receive and send, you may need a copy at a later time.

In addition, it is also recommend to contact the Federal Trade Commission and report the theft, as they are considered the clearinghouse on identity theft. Call the FTC at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) TTY: 1-866-653-4261, report the theft online at IdentityTheft.gov or write to:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington D.C. 20580

If you are the victim of IRS fraud, visit irs.gov/identity-theft-central to find IRS fraud forms and additional information.

More information about identity theft is available at ftc.gov and on the Minnesota Attorney General’s website.

• Proper Identification:
  • Minnesota PICTURE driver license; or
  • Minnesota PICTURE identification card (paper driver’s licenses are NOT accepted)
• The correct driver’s license number should be on the check.
• Initials or employee number of the person who accepted the check should be on the check.
• The correct home and work numbers should also be written on the check.
• Single or combined total loss over $500.
• Should be less than three months old.
• Original check is needed and will be entered into evidence. If original is not available the Check 21 copy will be needed.
• Copy of the receipt listing items purchased with the check.
• Notice and Demand for Payment of Dishonored Check must be sent by Certified Mail, return receipt requested or by regular mail, supported by an affidavit of service by mailing. After five business days have passed from mailing the form and copy of the check(s) and no payment is received, it becomes a crime. To take a report only the proof of mailing is needed to start the process. If a Domestic Return Receipt will be coming it can be added later to the report when it is returned to the victim in the mail.
• Witness statements (employee who accepted the check, and any others who witnessed the transaction) including name, date of birth, home address, work and home telephone numbers.
• Most postdated, second and third-party checks are civil.
• Usually we do not take a report for out of state banks and passers as they are extremely hard to charge.
• CD/DVD/video tape of transaction if available or photos of transaction.
• Complete Fraud Information Form [PDF]
• Notice and Demand for Payment of Dishonored Check [PDF]

• Any dollar amount.
• Should be less than three months old.
• Original check is needed because it is evidence and will be entered into the evidence room process, as is the receipt copy in a financial transaction card charge. If the originals are not available, the Check 21 copy will work as long as it includes the front and back of the check.
• Please handle the check/receipt as little as possible. It is evidence and there is a possibility of finding the suspect’s fingerprints on the check or receipt. If the prints are smudged or covered by other prints, they may render the case unsolvable.
• ACH transactions and all the information you have gained from the bank.
• Witness statements (employee who handled the transaction and any others who witnessed the transaction) including: name, date of birth, home address, work and home telephone numbers.
• The true account holder of the check or financial transaction card must sign an Affidavit of Forgery [PDF] stating the check written or account debited was falsely drawn upon. This affidavit is a needed document in the prosecution of a suspect involved with a forgery. If not available at the time of the report, advise the true account holder this will be needed.
• Copy of the receipt listing items purchased with the check/financial transaction card.
• CD/DVD/video tapes of the transaction, if available, or photos of the passer.
• Any other receipts or documentation which may aid in the investigation.
• Complete Fraud Information Form [PDF]
• Complete applicable Affidavit of Forgery [PDF]